Facts for Kids: Chapter 1

WHY DON’T ANIMALS WEAR CLOTHES?

The physical make-up of an animal’s body is adapted to the environment in which it lives. Whales, for instance, have a thick layer of fat, and polar bears have very thick coats, and these enable both of them to withstand very low temperatures in their natural environment. Certain cold-blooded animals can adapt perfectly to changes in temperature.

WHY AREN’T ALL BIRDS’ BEAKS THE SAME SHAPE?

Man has now spread throughout the world, and although his own body cannot adapt in the same way as an animal’s, he has overcome the difficulty by using various technical means – and wearing an overcoat is one of them!

The shape of a bird’s beak – or bill, as it should really be called – depends on what kind of food the bird usually eats. Feeding habits differ a great deal, and while there are one or two species that will eat practically anything which is available, most birds stick to one particular kind of food.

Let’s look at three examples of birds with highly specialized bills. The woodcock has a long, thin bill, which is perfect for digging in soft ground to extract the worms which are its favorite food.

The wide bill of the spoonbill gave this bird its name. It is just right for scooping up and filtering a wide variety of water plants, small fish, and water insects, in the shallow waters where it always feeds.